The Chalet School reunion (by Elinor M Brent-Dyer)

(Amazon UK link)

In my gradual, one-per-month reread of Elinor M Brent-Dyer’s lengthy Chalet School series, I reached the one noted as 50th in the original series. I last read ‘The Chalet School reunion’ about nine years ago, although before that I hadn’t read it for at least a couple of decades. 

Indeed, it’s not a book I really recall at all; possibly because it’s one of the non-school ‘holiday’ books which I appreciate all the more as I get older. This one is mainly about Grizel Cochrane, one of the original members of the school who returned, for a while, as a music teacher. She’s spent the last few years in New Zealand working with a friend, but is about to return to Europe after the business folded. 

Before going to the UK to wind up some business affairs, Grizel plans to visit Joey Maynard at her home in Switzerland - which appears to expand any time guests are expected. Grizel and Joey were the two founding members of the school, so Joey decides to host a mini reunion with other ‘girls’ who were around at the start - not that all of them are available.

However she senses that Grizel is tired; she talks about needing a break, so Joey does at least delay her party for a week. Grizel, in the meantime, has been keeping to herself on a small ship, until she gets to know Dr Neil Sheppard, a likeable, friendly man who offers to lend her a book. They don’t have much chance to get to know each other, but she agrees to contact him once she’s in London.

The bulk of the book features the week-long reunion that Joey plans. There are quite a few people, some staying at her house, some who live locally, and some who stay at hotels. Indeed, Joey counts the whole group as twenty-four, including herself and her 16-year-old triplet daughters. The plan is that each day they will divide into four groups of six, each led by Joey or one of the triplets, to do different trips and explorations. 

It could have been a bit dull; in the school stories, I often skim through details of half-term trips. But somehow this book makes them more interesting. Possibly because the author is not trying to make them overly educational; instead there’s a lot of human interest.  And while there are evidently a lot of different outings, the book follows the ones that Grizel goes on. 

On the first day, they all go together on a fairly short outing to the famous ‘Auberge’ where there are amazing echoes. Those who don’t know about it are - as always happens - delighted. But there's a near disaster involving Bruno, Joey's large and beloved dog. 

On the second day, Grizel is part of the group that Con leads, on a fairly innocuous outing to a local village in the mountains by train. There’s plenty of interesting conversation, and another near disaster… but basically all goes well. 

On the following day, Margot takes the group with Grizel, and they do a bit more walking; the worst thing that happens is a temporary power cut that stops a lift they’re on. Once again there’s some good interaction between characters, most of whom I remembered quite well from reading about their schooldays. 

There are other incidents between outings - lots of broken china, for instance, and a game of charades. And then the outing led by Len, which includes a lot of walking along mountain paths; we know from the start that something is going to go wrong as the author tells us. So this adds to the tension. It seems to me a bit surprising that Len is the one who leads her party - who are not all young and fit - along a quite difficult terrain, one which I would have disliked heartily. Len is generally the most thoughtful and responsible of the triplets.

It’s all very well done, I thought, and some scenes were surprisingly moving. I didn’t much like Grizel as a character when she was younger, but life has not been great for her so it’s not surprising she’s built emotional barriers around herself. I thought her personality was very well covered in this book; we see her gradual recovery from despair and disillusionment, albeit due to a near tragedy and a lot of physical pain.

There’s even a romance in this book, low-key as ever with Brent-Dyer’s books, and right at the end - but I thought it was well handled and surprisingly moving. 

I don’t suppose I liked this book much when I first read it as a teenager, but now I appreciate it all the more, and would count it as one of my favourites.

Definitely recommended if you have read others in the series, and like books set outside the school itself. But this wouldn’t be great as an introduction to the Chalet School as there are so many references to former books, and so many ‘old friends’ who are involved.

Unfortunately, this book is quite difficult to find; reprints by Girls Gone By publications are limited, and second-hand editions can be very expensive. The Armada paperback version was apparently uncut, unlike many of the earlier Armada editions; however it's also very hard to find and often pricey. 

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